We have all felt the pressure to reinvent ourselves for the sake of the dreaded New Year’s Resolution, but I am here to say that resolutions aren’t exactly the perfect solution to our problems or desires to change. Change comes from you when you feel the time is right, not when society says you should.

So, here are five reasons why I'm not participating in New Year's resolutions.

1. I feel like the first of the year always creeps up on me.

I get completely immersed in last minute shopping, baking treats for other people (consequently leaving Dom jealously browniecookiecupcake-less), struggling with wrapping paper and excessive amounts of tape and looking for the gifts I cleverly hid in the apartment so Dom (nor I, apparently) could find them. With all of the energy and time I put into a holiday I don’t entirely love, thinking up a meaningful, serious resolution for the New Year is the last thing on my mind. If I wanted to stick to a plan, I would need a significant amount of time to figure all of the details out

2. Speaking of "plans"...

I am hardly ever a planner. I really wish I was more interested in planning out my short term and long term goals or just making plans in general. A lot of my daily life is decided last minute and I like it that way. I mean of course, I stick to certain planned activities and responsibilities (such as work, appointments, dinners, etc.). However, even at work, the day is not totally organized because the environment I am in is so unpredictable. I am so much more awkward and anxious when I try too hard to plan, and I even come off as less genuine, or I work myself up so much over sticking to a plan that I start dreading the event.

3. When I set resolution-type goals, they tend to be unattainable.

I love the idea of setting goals more than actually putting any plans into action. I definitely used to use the New Year as a fresh start to a healthier lifestyle (“New Year, new me!” type of enthusiasm). However, I didn’t set realistic goals, making the process extremely frustrating and almost a guaranteed failure. I don’t think becoming more active or healthier should be a rushed decision I only make on January 1^st and about two weeks before June for the dreaded “bikini bod” season.

4. January is probably the worst month to start any significant resolution.

I have lived in the frozen tundra that is Upstate New York my entire life. When I say Upstate I mean very much Upstate. Basically, where I’m from is a house my father built, nestled in the woods, a decent 30 minutes north of civilization. I am serious about how cold the winters are out there. I despise winter with every ounce of my existence. Being cold is my number one least favorite feeling...ever. So, please tell me how I can be expected to find the tiniest bit of motivation to reinvent myself when I am constantly questioning what I could have done to deserve the seemingly endless torture of winter.

5. January 1st is barely different from the day before or the day after.

Why must society place more unnecessary expectations on each other simply based off of the change of a day into a new yearly digit? If you have goals to achieve and accomplishments you strive to succeed in, then do it. Do it today if you’re ready, or next week if you need time to set your plan into motion. If you have an idea of what you want to achieve don’t wait until the New Year to start. Start your journey when you feel confident and comfortable starting. Just because it seems the rest of the world is setting up for success (or failure) does not mean you have to follow their lead. If you’re ready, do it now. If you’re not ready, do not rush into anything until it feels right to you.

I don’t like to put the unwanted pressure on myself to change just based on what it seems the rest of the world is doing. I used to be so focused on what everyone was doing around me, and I put pressure on myself to keep up.

Now, I just don’t really see the point of adding stress when I am actively trying to focus on the changes I have already started making naturally and on my own.

The New Year is no different than the old one.

On the 1^st of the year I will be waking up and still swear about the cold, pet the cats and follow them around like a helicopter cat mom, eat breakfast because it will still be my favorite meal of the day and continue experiencing life on my terms.

Although one good thing about my past resolutions to get in shape was the cute workout gear I spent more time purchasing than the time I actually spent in the gym.